Snorkel Anyone?

Snorkeling is one of the most popular tropical water sports.  When traveling to the Caribbean, Hawaii, the Florida Keys, Bermuda, California, or Australia, you will find snorkel enthusiasts in abundance.  Which place has the best snorkeling?  Ask any local from these areas and they will all have their own biased opinions, but you have to explore them all yourself to come up with your own favorite(s).

Here are some of the most unusually beautiful places to snorkel that are off the beaten path, in alphabetical order per country to not express favorites.

Mangel Halto, Aruba
The best place to snorkel in Aruba is for advanced enthusiasts, who venture outside the reef for the healthiest corals.  The currents, wind, and waves make it quite unsafe for novice snorkeling.  For the rest of us, the shallow waters of Catalina Bay provide an underwater paradise to brush up on your snorkeling skills.  When you cruise to Aruba, we offer five excursions that involve snorkeling.  Contact us for information.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The world’s largest living structure, the Great Barrier Reef, is one of the most accessible reefs and offers excellent snorkeling.  The UNESCO world heritage-listed natural wonder is a ribbon of blinding blues and greens, a constellation of islands and reefs, running parallel with the Queensland shoreline from the tip of Cape York in the north 1,600 miles south to Bundaberg.    Explore the Whitsunday archipelago’s 74 jungle-clad islands, where nature lovers can delve into the uninhabited isles fringed with coral reefs and perfect beaches.    Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef represents some of the finest and most exotic scuba diving and snorkeling in the world. Two spectacular outer reef locations away from the crowds, Norman Reef and Saxon Reef, bursts with everything Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is famous for. 

Mexico Rocks, Belize
Mexico Rocks is a star coral patch that is located in the shallow waters midway between the reef and the island, unlike many of the snorkeling spots in the area that are right on the barrier reef. Because it is a shallow area, a maximum depth of only about 12 feet, the sun lights everything up, and the good underwater visibility is excellent for taking pictures.  This area is well inside the reef, and is protected from the bigger ocean swells, which makes it an excellent spot for beginner snorkelers as well as the more experienced.  When you cruise to Belize, we offer three excursions that involve snorkeling.  Contact us for information.

Bermuda
Bermuda is where you will find the most northern coral reefs in the world, and in the winter the water temperatures drop into the 60’s °F. So, they are not the most unusual reefs you will encounter, but they are some of the healthiest you will see.  This diverse temperature may be why many of the fish and hard and soft corals in Bermuda are bigger than their counterparts in the Caribbean.  Just walking on the exquisite sparkling pink beaches makes it worth the visit.  When you cruise to Bermuda, we offer three excursions that involve snorkeling.  Contact us for information.

Lac Bay, Bonaire
Less than a hundred miles off the north coast of South America, near the western part of Venezuela, lies the tiny island of Bonaire.  The snorkeling at Lac Bay off Sorobon Beach is some of the best on the island, but it is difficult to access.  It is a top Bonaire snorkeling spot, mostly because it is one of a few very shallow spots, no deeper than five feet. It has large patches of live healthy Elkhorn Coral, Staghorn Coral, and tons of fish.  When you cruise to Bonaire, we offer three excursions that involve snorkeling.  Contact us for information.

Playa Kenepa Chiki, Curacao
A beautiful, undeveloped area near the west end of the island, this area is also known as Klein Knip, which translates as Little Knip Beach.  The best place to snorkel is the left side of the bay, where you will find healthy corals and quite a few fish.  When you cruise to Curacao, we offer seven excursions that involve snorkeling.  Contact us for information.

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
The best available snorkeling in the Florida Keys is a tiny remote island about 70 miles west of Key West, accessible only by ferry, seaplane, or private boat.  Previously known as Fort Jefferson, the area was redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park.  The park is noted for abundant sea life, tropical bird breeding grounds, colorful coral reefs, and legends of shipwrecks and sunken treasures.  We offer four snorkel excursions in the Key West area.  Contact us for information.

Hideaways Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
A beautiful secluded beach located near the entrance to the St. Regis Princeville Resort, Hideaways is only accessible to snorkelers during the summer months.  During other times, it is a surfing beach, with the large waves making impossible for snorkeling. 

Kona, Big Island, Hawaii
Adjacent to The Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park is a place truly off the beaten path.  Two Steps, or Honaunau, is known for large numbers of turtles, beautiful reefs, extraordinarily beautiful sea life, plus an occasional passing pod of spinner dolphins. It also has some of the most fantastic snorkeling around.  It is not easy to find, but well worth the effort in terms of underwater beauty.  Just make sure you don’t enter the water at Keone’ele Cove in the park. This is an important cultural site and the park strives to maintain the cultural landscape. Please respect this site that is important and significant to the Hawaiian people.  We offer a snorkel excursion at Kealakekua Bay, Kona.  Contact us for information.

Kiddel Bay, St. John, U.S.V.I.
One of the best snorkeling spots in the Virgin Islands, Kiddel Bay is another area not heavily used.  If you like interesting topography, big caves and walls and canyons, lots of fish, and healthy dense reef life, this is the place to go.  We offer eight snorkel excursions in the St. Thomas/St. John’s area.  Contact us for information.

Don’t Just Add Days … Add Memories and Cherish Them

For those seeking a vacation beyond just an ocean cruise, we’re proud to provide information about Celebrity Vacation Packages.  Celebrity Cruises is a premium cruise line and subsidiary of Royal Caribbean.  A step above the contemporary, premium cruise ships gives their passengers a glimpse of luxury at a more affordable rate.  Celebrity’s highly curated packages combine the very best of a breathtaking Celebrity cruise with an amazing land or river adventure, resulting in a more authentic, immersive vacation experience.  Spend a few days exploring the cobblestone streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico’s old town.  Live it up in one of the world’s most famous nightlife scenes of Miami’s South Beach, or enjoy a relaxing brunch at one of Fort Lauderdale’s many sidewalk cafés.  These new Celebrity City Stay Vacations don’t just give you more time in your embarkation city; they give more of everything.  Here are just a few of the many itineraries Celebrity offers.

Celebrity’s Caribbean

Beach at Curacao

Map of the Southern Caribbean

For every powder-soft, sandy beach and crystalline cove, there’s something surprising and exciting to be found in the Caribbean.  And with 33 destinations you’re sure to find it.  Cruises from 2 to 14 nights include overnight stays in Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curaçao; Bridgetown, Barbados; and Celebrity’s new port of call, New Orleans, Louisiana, which is also a Signature Event Sailing during Mardi Gras.  Maybe you’d like to spend three nights, pre-cruise in luxury accommodations while you check out the neon-lit scene that is South Beach?  Or, how about exploring the cobblestone streets of Old Town in San Juan, Puerto Rico?  No matter your interest, the Caribbean offers something for everyone.

The Best of Bermuda

While Bermuda possesses all of the signature attributes of a tropical paradise, its decidedly British flavor makes for an interesting contrast and a unique travel experience.  Famous for its talcum-soft, pink sand beaches, Bermuda offers a variety of activities to appeal to every interest.  Explore St. George, one of the first British towns in North America and a UNESCO World Heritage site.  UNESCO World Heritage sites are historical places officially recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), on the basis of having cultural, historical, scientific or some other form of significance, and they are legally protected by international treaties. 

The pink and turquoise beauty of one of Bermuda's Celebrated Beaches - Horseshoe Bay

Visit the Royal Naval Dockyard, once the base of the Royal Navy in the Western Atlantic.  You will get to spend two full nights in the King’s Wharf, home of the Bermuda National Museum, arts & craft centers, terrific shopping and a host of cozy pubs and excellent restaurants.

The Northern Highlights

Autumn in New England

Rocky coastlines, hearty food, famous explorers, and equally famous battles define New England and eastern Canada.  But this region is also synonymous with charming small towns, a kaleidoscope of autumnal color, and some of the most iconic cities on the east coast of North America.  Francophiles will delight in spending the night in Quebec City on the banks of the St. Lawrence River.  Dive into Maine’s signature dish, fresh cold-water lobster.  In Boston, you can take one of many historical tours that introduce you to some of America’s most famous patriots and from Cape Liberty, New Jersey, you can visit the greatest symbol of American freedom, the Statute of Liberty, in New York harbor.

America’s Pearl

Oahu, with Diamond Head in the background

There are not many places in the world to rival the natural beauty of Hawai’i.  Surrounded by the vast Pacific, the Hawaiian Islands are simply in a class of their own.  Sailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, or Honolulu, Oahu, Celebrity’s 10-night Hawaii cruises offer several days at sea, giving you plenty of time to experience all that your ship has to offer.  Their 11-night Hawai’i cruise departs from Honolulu, where you’ll overnight and have ample time to pay your respects at the moving USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.  In addition, each of these cruises offers an overnight in Lahaina, Maui, where you can stroll along one its most popular stretches of coastline – Kaanapali Beach.

From Sea to Shining Sea

Cruise Ships passing through the Panama Canal

Even after 100 years, people still marvel at the engineering marvel that is the Panama Canal.  Here is your chance to do the same.  Celebrity offers five 15-night itineraries to ten destinations – both eastbound and westbound – via the Isthmus of Panama, giving you ample opportunity to enjoy all of the natural beauty along the way.  Before your cruise even begins, you can spend some time getting to know your embarkation ports of Miami or Fort Lauderdale by taking advantage of a City Stay Vacation package.  Spend 3 nights in luxury accommodations enjoying breakfast daily, escorted tours, restaurants, shopping districts, famous beaches and nightlife.

Salsa the Nights Away

Machu Picchu

With its soaring mountains, ancient sites, snaking rivers, and cosmopolitan cities, South America is a continent of diversity, both in its people and in its geography.  Offering 9 itineraries that visit 26 destinations, Celebrity will take you from crowds on Copacabana Beach in Brazil to the unrivaled beauty of the Chilean Lake District.  Take a catamaran ride from Ushuaia, Argentina, where you will see a penguin rookery.  Or, explore the ancient city of Machu Picchu – widely considered to be one of the New 7 Wonders of the World – high in the mountains of Peru.  Plus, Celebrity’s South America cruises offer 5 overnights, including the exciting city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a double overnight in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during their Rio Carnival Signature Event Sailing.

Explore the Galapagos

Pink flamingos strolling along a Galapagos beach

For many, a trip to the Galapagos Islands qualifies as a once-in-a-lifetime event.  Consequently, we want you to be completely focused on the Galapagos, and not on logistics or details.  Immerse yourself in these islands, absorbing everything there is to see, learn, and do while you are there.  With that in mind, Celebrity made your vacation all-inclusive, making your trip as convenient, relaxing, and memorable as possible.

You can extend your adventure by turning your trip to the Galapagos into an all-exclusive, 15-night South American experience. It begins with a 2-night pre-cruise tour of Ecuador’s mountaintop capital of Quito.  Then, it’s on to your 7-night cruise of the world-famous Galapagos Islands, where you will see plants and wildlife that exist only there.  When your cruise comes to an end, you will spend 6 nights in Peru, where you will visit its capital, Lima; the area known as The Sacred Valley, Cuzco; and one of the most mysterious, awe-inspiring places on Earth – the city in the clouds – Machu Picchu.

Go beyond the ordinary on a Celebrity cruise.  You will love it, no matter where it takes you.  Contact us at Travel, Tours &Cruises today to plan your dream vacation.